94 GULF OF CARIACO. 



aco as expeditiously as possible on account of the 

 fever. Embarking early in the morning, they pro- 

 ceeded westward along the river of Carenicuar, 

 which flows through a deep marshy soil covered 

 with gardens and plantations of cotton. The Indian 

 women were washing their linen with the fruit of 

 the parapara {Sapindus saponaria). Contrary winds, 

 accompanied with heavy rain and thunder, rendered 

 the voyage disagreeable ; more especially as the 

 canoe was narrow and overloaded with raw sugar, 

 plantains, cocoanuts, and passengers. Swarms of 

 flamingoes, egrets, and cormorants were flying to- 

 wards the shore, while the alcatras, a large species 

 of pelican, less affected by the weather, continued 

 fishing in the bay. The general depth of the sea is 

 from 288 to 320 feet ; but at the eastern extremity 

 of the gulf it is only from nineteen to twenty-five 

 feet for an extent of seventeen miles, and there is 

 a sandbank which at low water resembles a small 

 island. They crossed the part where the hot springs 

 rush from the bottom of the ocean ; but it being high 

 water the change of temperature was not very per- 

 ceptible. The contrary winds continuing, they were 

 forced to land at Pericautral, a small farm on the 

 south side of the gulf. The coast, although cov- 

 ered by a beautiful vegetation, was almost destitute 

 of human labour, and scarcely possessed seven hun- 

 dred inhabitants. The cocoa-tree is the principal 

 object of cultivation. This palm thrives best in the 

 neighbourhood of the sea, and like the sugar-cane, the 

 plantain, the mammee-apple, and the alligator-pear, 

 may be watered either with fresh or salt water. In 

 other parts of America it is generally nourished 

 around farm-houses ; but along the Gulf of Cariaco 

 it forms real plantations, and at Cumana they talk 

 of a hacienda de coco, as they do of a hacienda de 

 canna, or de cacao. In moist and fertile ground it 

 begins to bear abundantly the fourth year ; but in 

 dry soils it does not produce fruit until the tenth. 



